Reformed Congregation of the Silver Hand
The Reformed Congregation of the Silver Hand is a Congregation of the Council of Bishops, led by the Bishop of the Silver Hand, Lilith Sahl Olethos and Grand Knight, Melysa Marwyn-Ashvale. It serves as a body by which veteran paladins and all loyal members of the Order come together in the effort to uphold the honour and Code of the Silver Hand, to spread the wisdom of the Holy Light across Alliance lands, and act as the mighty hammer of the Light's wrath, striking down its most unholy enemies. In retrospect, the Reformed Congregation of the Silver Hand was an attempt by Caspius to form the order that many believed he had a part in disbanding. Due to the continued leadership crisis after Caspius abdicated, his successor, Alonsus II, dedicated his pontificate to providing a stable forum for paladins, but he would be forced to acquiesce to the Council of Bishops in their secret meeting in which the congregation was dissolved. 'PREAMBLE' It is established herein... That, in union with the COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, and by their commission that ALL ALLIANCE PALADINS once bound by oath to the ORDER OF THE SILVER HAND, or presently bound by oath in service to the CHURCH OF THE HOLY LIGHT, or aspiring to paladinhood, should hereafter come together as one to form the polity of the CONGREGATION OF THE SILVER HAND under the direction of the PREFECT BISHOP and GRAND KNIGHT of the Congregation. That this CONGREGATION recognizes the rightwise orthodoxy of the CHURCH OF THE HOLY LIGHT and freely acquiesces to the traditional bonds of faith and governance that rest between said Church and said Order of Paladins, as set forth in the code of the original ORDER OF THE SILVER HAND. In accordance with the beliefs of this most sacred relationship let it be known that the CHURCH OF THE HOLY LIGHT and its rightful executors, the COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, is vested rightly with full power and authority to make, alter and repeal all of the laws, rules and regulations for the administration, discipline and formation of the CONGREGATION OF THE SILVER HAND with or without the notice of the members of the congregation, that congregation being pledged to the defense of the HOLY CHURCH, and the GRAND ALLIANCE; And that this Congregation is wholly a congregation of the COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, subject to the same laws, governance, expectations, and duties required of all other congregations, serving under its PREFECT, the BISHOP OF THE SILVER HAND. 'LEADERSHIP' All official positions within the Congregation are to be appointed by the Lord Chancellor or the Congregational Prefect, (Bishop of the Silver Hand) save for the Grand Knight of the Congregation, who shall be appointed by the Archbishop. 'Grand Knight of the Congregation of the Silver Hand' The GRAND KNIGHT is a Master paladin appointed to serve as an exemplary model for all paladins in the Congregation. The GRAND KNIGHT is appointed without set term by the ARCHBISHOP, and is endowed with the supreme, knightly authority to teach, instruct, educate and assist in the anointing of all paladins in the Congregation. The GRAND KNIGHT leads the Tribunal and may, if urged by necessity, address the Council of Bishops directly. The titular style for the GRAND KNIGHT is "Right Honourable Grand Knight". 'Lord Chancellor of the Church' While NOT technically a position WITHIN the C'ONGREGATION', the Lord Chancellor of the Church is responsible for overseeing many of the Congregations of the Council of Bishops and may advise the Prefect Bishop of the Silver Hand, taking action where it is necessary. The titular style for the Grand Master is "His/Her/Your Excellency". 'Congregational Prefect' The Congregational Prefect is, as in all congregations of the Council of Bishops, the supreme head of the Congregation. The Congregational Prefect of the Congregation of the Silver Hand shall be the Bishop of the Silver Hand. The Prefect is responsible for ensuring meetings are held, ensuring order is maintained during meetings, and for evaluating and ensuring membership requirements are met, and remain adhered to. The Prefect carries the full weight of the Congregation's organizational, and political responsibility upon his or her shoulders. The titular style for the Prefect is the same as the style for that individual's rank within the Church (i.e., for a bishop, it is "The Most Reverend, His/Her/Your (Most Reverend) Grace)". 'The Tribunal' The Congregational Tribunal will consist of an unset number of Master Paladins of the Silver Hand, each tasked with a specific duty-set as determined by the Grand Knight, the Prefect, and the Chancellor. The duties of the Tribunal will include the following: - Maintaining order during meetings. - Calling meetings to order and adjourning meetings. - Recognition of those who wish to speak in council. - The responsibility of maintaining the Council Docket. - The responisibilty of recording the minutes of each Council meeting. - Establishing and maintaining a seminary of paladins under the direction of the Exemplar and the Bishop of the Silver Hand that shall facilitate the continued spiritual and physical training of aspirants. - Upholding and epitomising the Code of the original Order of the Silver Hand above all others. - Where necessary, serving as Commanders on the field of battle. - In special cases, proposing worthy aspirants to the Grand Knight and the Bishop of the Silver Hand for consecration as Paladins. The titular style for the Knights of the Tribunal is "Lord Paladin X" (With X being the paladin's surname). 'BRIEF HISTORY' 'Origin of the Congregation of the Silver Hand' Founded in 623 K.C. by then Bishop of Stormwind, Johannes Moorwhelp and Erich Gottfried Manstein, the original Congregation acted as the body by which all knights and paladins who pledged themselves to the Order could come and voice their concerns, questions, and calls for aid. Melysa Marwyn was later elected to serve as his replacement after being nominated by then Bishop of Stormwind, Johannes Moorwhelp. Despite the state of the Congregation in the wake of Lord Manstein's demise, Melysa worked to see its officer positions filled while preparing for a campaign that would never come to fruition due to a number of factors. She soon discovered that for all his faults, Lord Manstein had somehow managed to accomplish the daunting task of getting such a diverse group of men and women to work together toward a common goal--a task which seemed impossible for her as she held to the very letter of the Congregation's constitution. 'Suspension' Marwyn, who sustained a devasting injury during the Siege of Orgrimmar resigned the office on November 9th, 623 K.C. Despite Marwyn adhering perfectly to the rules of order in an effort to make the trasition as seemless as possible, the majority of the Peers refused to wait for additional nominations, defeating the motion to wait one week and pushing a vote to elect a successor, which devolved into chaos and wild accusations of corruption against the Council of Bishops after the Lord Chancellor of the Church was given the floor to clarify the standing of one of the Peers. Having called for order several times, only to be ignored by Lady Seltara and others, Marwyn was unable to lawfully conclude the voting process. Despite numerous claims to the contrary, the Council of Bishops refused to recognize the vote, citing that Tanya Seltara and her supporters had acted out of order. In lieu of the accusations of corruption made against the Council of Bishops by Seltara and her supporters and after threats of excommunication and other reprimand seemed to have litle effect, the Council of Bishops issued an act for the universal dismissal and suspension of the Congregation of the Silver Hand on November 10th, 623 K.C. Marwyn penned a letter to the Council of Bishops the next morning, taking personal responsibility for the controversial session and expressing her desire to see the Congregation reborn. Unwilling to acknowledge the decision of the Council of Bishops, Lady Tanya Seltara, Lord Zephon Carhagen, and those who supported them continued to meet in the form of the the Independent Paladin Assembly. 'A New Constitution' After his election in January 624K.C., Archbishop Caspius dedicated himself to the task of soliciting the opinions of the most renowned Paladins in the realm. Appointing Tanya Seltara Grand Master pro tempore to call paladins to the forthcoming promulgation, he used the work of Melysa Marwyn as a basis from which to rewrite the constitution, establishing clear and firm boundaries and duties for the reinstated congregation. '1st Meeting of the Reformed Congregation' The new Constitution was promulgated on 1 March, 624K.C. at Tyr's Hand, Lordaeron, and the Congregation was officially reformed under its new constitution. Caspiius appointed Melysa Marwyn to serve as Grand Master of the Silver Hand and elections for congregational officers were held immediately after Marwyn took her oath of office. The congregation elected Sir Binor Dungallion to serve as Speaker, but was unable to find a single person willing to serve as Secretary. In the absence of a Secretary, Melysa Marwyn volunteered to serve in this capacity on a temporary basis. A copy of the minutes may be found here. 'The Abdication of Caspius I' After the abdication of Archbishop Caspius, the Congregation was thrown into a state of confusion, beginning with an increased suspicion of corruption within the Council of Bishops. Attendance suffered and to make matters worse, a great deal of confusion arose with regard to the office of Grand Master. The administration of Alonsus Secundus, the founder of the Congregation, deeply values the Congregation of the Silver Hand's goals, and a small announcement was left in his first Decreta: The Light has been pleased. The Council of Bishops later offered clarification with regard to the Congregation's governing document and Bishop Lilith Sahl Olethos was personally tasked by the new Archbishop with making any necessary changes to the constitution. 'Moving Forward' In the interest of putting controversy and confusion to rest, Melysa Marwyn met with the Bishop of the Silver Hand on the night of May 10th, 624 K.C. They discussed the future of the Congregation, the allegations of Corruption within the Council of Bishops and the very nature of what it means to be a paladin. Believing Lilith Olethos to be a true servant of the Light, dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the Order of the Silver Hand, Melysa agreed to work with her in reforming the Congregation, rather than divorcing it entirely from the Council of Bishops. The two have already exchanged a number of ideas and while her faith in the Council of Bishops is near non-existent, Melysa seems to have placed a great deal of trust and faith in Olethos. While she initially intended to leave the congregation and make a farewell address on Saturday, May 17th, after hearing of the news, Archbishop Alonsus Secundus invited Melysa to negotiate via her comrade, Sir Ivay Osrana. The invitation was accepted in writing, via a hand-delivered letter to Alonsus II on the evening of Friday, May 16th at his residence within the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind. After speaking with Alonsus for several hours after May 17th's meeting, Melysa agreed to continue to serve as Grand Master. She later attended the Archbishop's coronation on Sunday, May 18th, where she publicly swore the following oath: "In sight of these witnesses and the Holy Light, I Melysa Lynn Marwyn Ashvale swear to serve our Holy Church, its rightful head and the Order of the Silver Hand. I swear to uphold the honour and code of the Order of the Silver Hand, to walk in the Light's grace and spread its word throughout Alliance lands, to protect the weak and innocent with my very life and to vanquish evil wherever it may be found." Dedicated to the successful reformation of the Congregation of the Silver Hand, Lady Melysa provided the Archbishop and the Bishop of the Silver Hand with a copy of her first draft for congregational reform. The proposal included a number of measures which while almost certain to be unpopular, were designed to increase the congregation's efficacy. The Bishop of the Silver Hand was in agreement with all the proposed changes and Lady Melysa took the liberty of drafting the second edition of the Constitution, which awaits Alonsus Secundus' approval. 'Revitalization' With the approval of the Archbishop, she has already made a number of necessary changes to the Congregation in the effort to transform it from a mostly ineffective group, known for spending more time debating around a table than in the field of battle to what she refers to as "The hammer of the Light's wrath against its most unholy enemies." --cutting out meetings almost entirely in favor of training sessions and military action. Her vision has already garnered the support of many of those who fled from its previous incarnation. 'MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS' The Congregation of the Silver Hand shall accept, as speaking representatives, the Paladin who is the head of each chapter or order of Paladins that have been approved by the Bishop of the Silver Hand (or, his officially designated Paladin representative, from within the same order). These members are equal in stature at the Congregation, and are each possessed with a single, non-transferable vote, in all matters before the Congregation. Paladins not presently affiliated with a chapter or order may obtain membership as individuals, pending approval. Individual peers are each possessed with a single, non-transferable vote, in all matters before the Congregation. Only recognized peers of the Congregation, the Bishop of the Silver Hand, the Grand Knight, the Lord Chancellor of the Church, or the Archbishop may address the congregation. All others who wish to speak must be invited so to do in a motion, seconded, and voted upon by the congregation. For a chapter or order to gain recognition by the Bishop of the Silver Hand, the said chapter or order must demonstrate: 1.) That its paladins are trained and squired in accordance with the mission statement of the Congregation. 2.) That its paladins are wholly orthodox and knowledgeable believers of the teachings of the Holy Light. 3.) That its paladins are virtuous; and that the order will not suffer fallen, corrupt, or otherwise gravely sullied paladins to remain within its ranks. 3.) That its paladins are loyal to the Light, the Holy Church, and the Grand Alliance, being neither neutral, nor acting independently of the Church. 4.) That its paladins are duly consecrated in a manner which does not deviate in any way from the consecrations performed by the Order of the Silver Hand as established by Alonsus Faol and Uther the Lightbringer. This includes having sworn the paladin's oath. Should the Prefect Bishop, the Archbishop, or the officers of the Congregation determine that a body has lapsed in these observances, they may revoke membership until the body is once again in accordance with the principles above. Should a body fail to attend two successive meetings, it will lose its voting rights (effective at that second meeting) until it is again in attendance, and its vote shall not be considered in matters before council, nor shall the said vote constitute part of those counted as amongst the membership. Should a body fail to attend three sucessive meetings, it will lose its membership entirely, and will need to reapply for membership through the Bishop of the Silver Hand, serving as prefect. An individual who refuses to attend without just cause approved by the Speaker, Prefect Bishop of the Silver Hand, or Archbishop, having been ordered so to do by the Speaker, and attempted to be brought before the council by the Sergeant-at-Arms, shall invalidate the membership of their order in the Congregation and will need to reapply for membership through the Bishop of the Silver Hand, serving as prefect. 'ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS' The following organisations and individuals were determined to be eligible for membership by the Council of Bishops. Each organisation must elect its own representative to address the Congregation. If your organisation is not listed here, and you are interested in membership, please contact the Congregational Prefect, Bishop Lilith Sahl Olethos, or Grand Knight, Melysa Marwyn-Ashvale. If your character is not a member of any chapter or organisation, he or she may also contact the aforementioned characters with regard to obtaining individual membership. If your character belongs to a guild which has declined membership, he or she may still apply for individual membership and become a recognized peer by contacting the aforementioned characters. 'RECOGNIZED PEERS OF THE CONGREGATION' All requests to address the congregation made by non-recognized peers must be submitted in writing to the Prefect Bishop of the Silver Hand. 'Member Organisations and Their Appointed Representatives' The following eligible organisations have appointed representatives to the Congregation. Each of these representatives has a vote in all matters before the congregation. *Clergy of the Holy Light: Represented by Amaliana Bradford (Amaliana) *League of Lordaeron: Representated by Cartres Portiave (Cartres) *The Stormwind Infantry: Representated by Aab Lynned (Aabllynned) *Blazing Dawn: Representated by Binor Dungalion (Binor) *House of Elric: Represented by Ritchard Elric (Ritchard) *The Highguard: Represented by Alwynen Dawnwrath (Alwynen) 'Individual Peers' The following individuals have been determined eligible for individual peerage, and each may vote in all matters before the congregation. *Ivay Osrana (Ivay) *Talarman Songsteel (Talarman) *Elevaan Greywald (Elevaan) 'CURRENT EVENTS' 'Bleeding the Mountain ' With the Archbishop's approval, Melysa Marwyn met with Archdruid Maethor Shimmerwind at Thal'darah Overlook and learned that that the goblins interests were offering supplies to various Horde military organizations in exchange for their assistance in removing the kaldorei from the mountain. After learning that some of the same Horde parties that participated in the March on the Highlands had come to lead the offensive, she sent an urgent missive to the Council of Bishops, urging them to direct all available paladins and clerics to "strike down this dishonorable foe and safeguard the helpless kaldorei citizens." The Archbishop then sent a directive, ordering Melysa to mobilize the Congregation at once in the interest of reinforcing the Archdruid. The Congregation is to rendezvous with the First Regiment at Thal'darah Overlook. 'Pilgrimage to Uther's Tomb - June 14th, 624 K.C.' The Grand Master has scheduled a pilgrimage to Uther's Tomb for all members of the Congregation, during which they will hold a brief meeting. The Congregation will arrive at Uther's tomb no later than 7pm. 'Congregation Meeting - June 28th, 624 K.C.' The Congregation will meet in Tyr's Hand to discuss a number of new business items, including a motion to petition the Council of Bishops for the use of Congregational forces against the rogue entity, known as The Bloody Dawn. Congregation Dissolution Despite the urgings of Alonsus Secundus, the Council of Bishops in secret session nearly unanimously suspended the Congregation for its perceived inefficacy. The Congregation was not given an attempt to defend its actions. The Archbishop has announced his intention to revive the Congregation in short order and change the canon law to prevent the Council of Bishops from suspending organizations unilaterally. Some, particularly the Grand Knight herself, believe that the Council of Bishops intended that the Congregation should fail, and did everything in its power to block the promulgation of its new constitution in order to ensure its inefficacy. While she has yet to speak publicly with regard to the Congregation's suspension, largely due to the secret vote, she has expressed such views in private to her closest advisers. Category:Congregation of the Silver Hand Category:Order of the Silver Hand Category:Church of the Holy Light Category:Holy Church Organizations Category:Grand Alliance Category:Congregations Category:Council of Bishops Category:Disbanded Organizations